Underhill expresses joy when Navy frees Phillips from captivity

Alison McColl of the Maersk shipping line speaks to the media about the release of Captain Richard Phillips.

(Host) Tremendous joy in
Underhill yesterday as word emerged that Captain Richard Phillips had been
rescued off the coast of Somalia.

VPR's Jane
Lindholm has more.

(Lindholm)
Yellow ribbons trailed from fence posts, utility poles and mailboxes in
Underhill. And by mid-afternoon, signs
praying for the safe return of Richard Phillips had been changed to reflect
news that the captain had in fact been rescued by the US Navy after a firefight
that killed three pirates.

Friends
and family members gathered at the Phillips home in Underhill, and well-wishers
streamed by all afternoon, honking their horns in support as news crews perched
across the street. The Phillips family also
heard from President Barack Obama, Senator Patrick Leahy and other
leaders.

Alison
McColl, a spokeswoman for the company that Richard Phillips works for, said
Andrea Phillips lit up when she was finally able to speak with her husband.

(McColl) "She was laughing while she was on the phone
with him. She was saying his trademark
sense of humor is still very much intact and he's in great spirits. And if you guys could have just seen her
light up when she talked to him. It was
really remarkable."

(Lindholm) The Phillips
family declined to speak to the media on Sunday. But Maersk Spokeswoman Alison McColl had a
message from Andrea Phillips.

(McColl) "She and her family have felt a tremendous
amount of support from the entire nation.
The thoughts, the prayers, the sentiments, the support you've shown has
really helped them endure this really difficult situation. And she believes she can feel it and she
believes her husband felt it out there in the middle of the ocean, so thanks to
the entire nation, the local community, the state of Vermont for all your help
there."

(Lindholm) Captain Phillips is
expected to return to the US in a couple of days.